Bringing The Witness

As a witness, Dr. Hunt was called to the court. Dr. Hunt had accompanied Bruce as a Chaplain to the British embassy. He submitted an Italian translation of the “firman” to the committee of the British Museum written solely from his recollection of the original.

Translating The Firman

According to Dr. Hunt, the substance of the firman granted Bruce and the artists employed by him the permission “to view, draw and model the ancient Temples of the Idols and the sculptures upon them, to make excavations and to take away any stone that might appear interesting to them.”

No Objection

Dr. Hunt added, “no objection was at any time made, nor any displeasure shown, by the Turkish government, against the extensive interpretation which was put upon this firman.” It was also discussed that soon enough the sculptures might have been removed by their government from the original site anyway if they had not been taken away and secured for this country by Thomas Bruce.

Closing The Deal

The House of Commons excused Bruce and offered him £35,000 for the stolen artwork, which he quickly accepted. The deal closed and the sculptures were taken directly by the British Museum where they have prevailed to date.

Fit Idea

Bruce’s proposal of displaying the relics in public proved to be prosperous. Tourists from all around the world came to see the beautiful pieces of Greek history. The whole thing became a massive hit for tourism in London making it the largest exhibit at The British Museum.

Ruined Restoration

The idea of displaying the relics might have been a hit but Bruce’s other ideas were not so successful. He planned to restore some of the artifacts to make them look more attractive. But this idea did not execute well and the process ended up destroying the pieces. They shattered even further and instead of improving their state they ended up being worse than before.